


A Cause of Vexation

by ausmac



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 02:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14392827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ausmac/pseuds/ausmac
Summary: Being a King sometimes requires attention to boring duty, and sometimes an interruption to that.  Just a light, affection idea that occurred to me.





	A Cause of Vexation

For all its glamour and power, being a ruler involved a great deal more work than Laurent had anticipated.  And it was the sort of work likely to weary an intelligent and active young man in a fairly short time.

He had marked the day to clear his desk and with his usual determination, was avoiding the siren call of perfect weather to attend to it.  Sunlight streamed in through the gauzy curtains behind him and a warm breath of air carrying the scent of lilac and persimmon flowers tickled his senses.  Everything was saying _get up, get outside, enjoy the day_ but he'd resisted it since breakfast. 

The paperwork was stacked neatly in order of importance.  Nearest to him was a pile of proposed new laws or amendments to current ones, all of which he must either confirm, edit or veto.  Beside that were reports from all his ambassadors on the current status of the courts they attended.  Next, reports from all his Counsellors on their areas of responsibility, along with the status of his armed forces.  Lastly the applications that had been passed to him by his counsellors, deemed important enough for his personal attention.  And all of that didn’t include any private matters he might have noted down to consider.

Though significant, reading through pages of law terminology taxed his patience.  Laurent sat forward, propping up his chin with one hand while the fingers of his other hand tapped slowly on the desktop.  A headache was forming over one eye and he rubbed his forehead absently.  _If only they would say in one clear phrase what takes a page to…_

"Care to join me for some hunting?"

Laurent twitched and jerked backwards and focused on the tall figure standing just inside the doorway. 

"Please don't do that!"

The wide mouth curved upwards at one corner into a familiar quirk of a smile.  "Sorry.  Were you absorbed?  I can come back later."   Damen was dressed in his worn dark leather gear with a bow slung over one shoulder.  "But it's a fine day, sad you have to be sequestered away here."

"Not now.  I need to get this done."

Damen shrugged and turned to leave.  "No problem.  Enjoy yourself."

 _Enjoy…right._   Enjoyment would be riding over the hills with his lover where the superficial excuse was a hunt and the actual purpose was to find some spot among the trees to be alone together and let nature and passion take its course.  With his resolve only slightly shaken, Laurent returned to the pile of documents.

He'd worked his way through the proposed laws and was onto the ambassadorial reports, and thinking about lunch, when the next interruption occurred.

"We could go fishing."

Laurent twitched…again…and sighed.  "Fishing.  No fishing.  Go away now."

"Fine, be like that.  I know when I'm not wanted."  Only the light tone assured Laurent that Damen wasn't actually offended.  An hour or so of fishing would have been nice.  Near the water, easy enough to strip and dive in and there was so much pleasure to be had floating in a warm sea next to the large, strong body…

"Are you hungry?  I can get you some lunch."

Laurent lay the pen down carefully and glared.  "You're doing this deliberately.  To vex me."

Damen sauntered across the room, nudged a pile of papers off the desk with his hip and planted his butt on the edge of the desk.  "Could be.  Is it working?"  He reached out and stroked one blunt fingertip across Laurent's forehead.  "Look, it's all wrinkled and…vexed.  On you, it looks good."

The sigh came from deep inside his chest, as tension slid away as if by magic.  He reached up to wrap a hand around Damen's wrist.  "Next time," he murmured as the dark head bent towards him, "when you are busy at your Kingly duties…if you ever are…be prepared to be equally vexed."

And then the warm, generous mouth covered his, arms reached around him to lift him from the chair and all thoughts of work and duty slid away.


End file.
